Boys' magic trip to see Uri

But two Wolverhampton brothers were treated to a day of "positive energy" at the country mansion of legendary spoonbender Uri Geller.

Michael and John Thornton, aged 11 and 10, received one-on-one pep talks with the psychic and also took a ride in his famous cutlery-covered Cadillac.

Mother Leanne Davies said that the turnaround in her sons since their visit to Uri's Berkshire mansion had been amazing.

Michael and John made the trip as part of the Holistic Educational Therapy (HET) programme, which has been supporting hundreds of Wolverhampton youngsters for the past eight years.

Leanne said: "Michael suffers from epilepsy and had been having a lot of problems at school, while John was picking up a lot of copycat behaviour.

"As soon as we arrived at Uri's house, it was all about the kids – they were his main focus. They drove in his car and were given a tour of the grounds, he also spoke to each one about the power of positive thought and confidence."

Uri heard about HET through Pattingham's Green Meadow Animal Sanctuary, where children with emotional and behavioural problems can befriend animals.

Leanne, aged 36, said: "Uri is a patron at Green Meadow and since the boys' visit he has kept in touch through telephone calls and e-mails. He is the most wonderful, inspiring, pioneering man and since their involvement in HET, the boys have made some brilliant changes. The turnaround has been amazing."

Michael and John, who have three other siblings Jade, 16, Patrick, 14, and Emma, 13, made the trip over the Bank Holiday weekend. Uri said: "I believe that working with positive energy should be part of every young person's entitlement.

"We should be looking at initiatives such as HET which supports and empowers young people and their families if we are serious about making this change for our future."

HET is funded through the local education authority, business sponsorship and private funding. For more details call Linda Porter on 07970 052047.